Category Archives: The Permanent Press

July 29, 2015 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Three-Nine Line by David Freed

three nine lineTitle: The Three-Nine Line by David Freed
Cordell Logan Mystery Series Book Four
Publisher: The Permanent Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 272 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

More than forty years after their release from the notorious “Hanoi Hilton,” three American prisoners of war return to Vietnam to make peace with their most brutal former captor, a guard whom they’ve dubbed, “Mr. Wonderful.” The U.S. State Department hopes reconciliation will help cement a major trade agreement between Washington and the Vietnamese. But when Mr. Wonderful is found murdered, the three ex-POWs are accused of the crime and the multi-billion dollar deal threatens to unravel. Enter pilot, still-aspiring Buddhist, and former military assassin Cordell Logan.

Working with a newly formed covert intelligence unit that answers directly to the White House, Logan is dispatched to Hanoi to identify the real killer as the trade agreement threatens to implode. What he soon uncovers proves to be a vexing and increasingly dangerous mystery. Who really killed the guard and why? Unlocking the answers will test every ounce of Logan’s ingenuity and resolve, while risking his life as never before.

Like its three predecessors in the Cordell Logan mystery/thriller series Flat Spin, Fangs Out, andVoodoo Ridge, The Three-Nine Line is a classic, pulse-pounding page-turner. Legions of loyal readers and critics alike, from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal to Noir Journal and theAssociated Press, have hailed the series for its taut writing, finely wrought characters, flashes of wry humor, and full throttle pacing. The Three-Nine Line may well be the best yet.

Review:

In The Three-Nine Line, David Freed’s fourth novel in the highly entertaining and always fascinating Cordell Logan Mystery series, past and present collide when “Mr. Wonderful”, a brutal guard at the Hanoi Hilton, is murdered after a reconciliation ceremony with three of his former POWs. Ex-fighter pilot and one-time covert government operator Cordell Logan travels to Vietnam to investigate the murder and help the Americans leave the country before news of the murder reaches the American press. With a US trade agreement with Vietnam hanging in the balance, Logan must outwit Truong Tan Sang, an overzealous investigator with the Ministry of Public Security, before the ex-POWs are convicted of the crime.

Cordell is still coming to terms with the tragic events that occurred six months earlier when his old friend and comrade in arms Buzz reaches out to him about the tense situation in Hanoi. Cordell is a little reluctant to become involved in the investigation, but when he learns his former philosophy professor, Steven Cohen, is one of the men under house arrest, he quickly agrees to help. Posing as psychologist Bob Barker, Logan travels to Vietnam where he meets with Cohen and the other ex-POW, Virgil Stoneburner, while at the same time he secretly investigates the murder. With very few resources to aid him on his search for answers, Logan and his interpreter, Nguyen Phu Dung are soon looking into “Mr. Wonderful’s” sordid dealings in hopes of discovering the identity of his killer.

Logan is still the same intelligent, sarcastic and somewhat reluctant investigator introduced in previous installments of the series. However he has been out of the covert ops game just long enough to be slightly off balance. He seems a bit distracted occasionally and although he gets results, he is sometimes a little reckless. Cordell is also on his own for much of the investigation and lacks some of the resources he needs to obtain necessary information.

As Dr. Barker, Logan has limited access to Cohen and Stoneburner, and they continue to deny any involvement in the murder. The third ex-POW Billy Hallady is out of Cordell’s reach since he returned to the US with his grandson, Sean, before Mr. Wonderful’s body was discovered. Is their early return as innocent as Hallady proclaims? Or is the reason a sign of their involvement in Mr. Wonderful’s death? Will Logan unmask the killer(s) before Cohen and Stoneburner become scapegoats for his murder?

The Three-Nine Line is a very clever and intriguing addition to the Cordell Logan Mystery series. David Freed has once again written an impossible to solve mystery that will keep readers guessing the perpetrator’s identity right up until the novel’s dramatic conclusion. The return of an old love interest will leave fans eagerly awaiting the next book in this delightful series. Highly recommended to old and new fans of the series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Cordell Logan Mystery Series, David Freed, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, The Permanent Press, The Three-Nine Line

May 19, 2014 · 11:58 pm

Review: Voodoo Ridge by David Freed

voodooTitle: Voodoo Ridge by David Freed
Cordell Logan Mystery Series Book Three
Publisher: The Permanent Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 240 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

It’s 1956. A plane bearing a mysterious cargo takes off from a small airport outside Los Angeles and disappears into a raging storm. Nearly 60 years later, while flying over California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, retired military assassin-turned-civilian flight instructor and would-be Buddhist Cordell Logan catches a glint of sunlight on metal and spots what appears to be an aircraft wreckage. His life will never be the same.

Logan and his beautiful ex-wife Savannah, plan a reconciliation in posh Lake Tahoe. But upon landing in the Ruptured Duck, his beloved aging Cessna, Logan agrees to put those plans on hold when he’s asked to help guide a search and rescue team to the remote, mountainous crash site. The team finds not only a long-missing airplane, with the mummified remains of its pilot still at the controls, but something much more recent and far more sinister: the body of a young man, shot to death only hours earlier. Someone has beaten the rescuers to the site and will clearly stop at nothing to profit from what the plane was carrying – including kidnapping and threatening to kill Savannah if Logan refuses to help them carry out their getaway plans. With the clock ticking and the love of his life in peril, Logan is drawn into a vexing vortex as personal and potentially deadly as any he’s ever known.

Voodoo Ridge is a fast-paced adrenaline-fueled thrill ride filled with the kind of unexpected twists, full-throttle action and wry humor that won Freed’s Flat Spin and Fangs Out, the first two installments in the Cordell Logan mystery series, rave reviews and a legion of loyal fans.

The Review:

In Voodoo Ridge, David Freed’s struggling flight instructor and occasional investigator Cordell Logan’s involvement in a sixty year old mystery becomes deeply personal when his ex-wife and current love interest, Savannah, is kidnapped. Frantic to rescue Savannah before it is too late, Logan is coerced into delivering a mysterious package but a staggering revelation leads to an agonizing moral dilemma.

A shocking announcement at the end of Fang’s Out results in a surprising reconciliation for Logan and Savannah. However, just as they are about to take the next step in their relationship, Logan’s discovery of a downed aircraft puts him in the middle of a search and rescue effort. The decades old mystery surrounding the wreckage is quickly complicated by a recent murder at the crash site and investigators have barely begun probing the case, when Savannah goes missing. Logan quickly begins his desperate search not only for Savannah but the truth about long ago events.

The stakes are incredibly high as Logan digs for answers about the plane crash and its now missing cargo. His search for Savannah yields no viable evidence but he determinedly pursues all leads. His investigation into the mystery of the wrecked plane runs into a dead end and he turns his attention to the present as he looks into the current murder. Logan’s despair and anxiety over Savannah’s kidnapping drive his attempts to solve both past and present crimes but will his efforts culminate with her safe release?

This third installment of the series proves to be the most emotional as Logan anxiously tries to discover Savannah’s whereabouts. It is also the most revealing as he looks back on both his childhood and his former career in covert ops. Logan poignantly reminisces about his marriage and his unwavering love for Savannah, but he also acknowledges the secrecy about his career led to the destruction of their marriage. Logan’s struggle to reconcile his violent past with Buddhist philosophy is ongoing and his personal desires are often in a conflict with Buddha’s teachings.

Voodoo Ridge is full of unexpected twists and turns and again, the killer’s motives and identity are cleverly concealed until the novel’s dramatic conclusion. This intriguing and compelling addition to the Cordell Logan series will leave fans very curious to see what David Freed is planning next for our gruff but lovable hero.

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Filed under Contemporary, Cordell Logan Mystery Series, David Freed, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, The Permanent Press, Voodoo Ridge

April 11, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: Fangs Out by David Freed

Title: Fangs Out by David Freed
Cordell Logan Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: The Permanent Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 270 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

Moments before he is executed, the killer of famed Vietnam War hero-pilot Hub Walker’s daughter makes a startling allegation: the real murderer is Walker’s close friend, a prominent U.S. defense contractor. Walker wants to hire somebody willing to spend a few days hunting up information that will refute the convicted killer’s groundless but widely reported claims, and help restore his friend’s good name. That somebody, as fate would have it, is sardonic civilian flight instructor, would-be Buddhist and retired military assassin Cordell Logan. Thus begins one of the year’s most suspenseful mystery-thrillers.

A Medal of Honor recipient married to a former Playmate of the Year, Walker resides in the swanky San Diego enclave of La Jolla, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Logan is convinced that working for Walker will be little more than a paid vacation – a chance to rub shoulders with a living legend while rekindling Logan’s relationship with his own enticing ex-wife, Savannah. But after flying to San Diego in his beloved aging Cessna, the Ruptured Duck, Logan is quickly drawn into a vexing and deadly jigsaw puzzle. The deeper he digs, the murkier the truth appears, and the more in danger he finds himself. Who really killed the war hero’s daughter, and why? Somebody in “America’s Finest City,” wants to stop Logan from asking questions, and will stop at nothing to silence him

The Review:

Fang’s Out, David Freed’s second novel featuring intrepid flying instructor turned reluctant investigator Cordell Logan, is just as well-written and engrossing as Flat Spin. The mystery is quite intriguing, the dialogue is fresh and laced with humor, and the cast of characters is colorful and engaging.

In this second outing, Cordell Logan is the same irresistible character we first met in Flat Spin. He is definitely a work in progress but he is beginning to make a little headway with some of the issues that continue to plague him. His business is continuing to limp along and as before, a much needed infusion of cash is part of the reason Logan agrees to investigate Ruth Walker’s death. He and ex-wife Savannah are making slow but steady progress rebuilding their relationship but his endearing ineptness keeps him in the doghouse much of the time. Logan is hard at work trying to find some balance in his life as a Buddhist, but his personal beliefs are often at odds with Buddha’s teachings.

One of Mr. Freed’s strengths as an author is his ability to provide a well-rounded and eclectic cast of splendidly developed characters. Logan’s vivacious octogenarian landlady and close friend Mrs. Schmulowitz is as delightful as ever and their interactions are quite humorous. Logan’s affection for his indolent feline companion Kiddiot (I absolutely love this name!!!) and Mrs. Schmulowitz smoothes some of his rougher edges and adds to his charm.

Logan’s investigation into Ruth’s murder is quite compelling and fast paced. He still manages to irritate most everyone he meets, but there are a few people who manage to overlook his sometimes abrasive personality and their input proves invaluable. His previous career in covert ops provides Logan with the necessary skills to work his way out of a few tight situations.

In this outstanding sequel to Flat Spin, David Freed skillfully weaves together yet another well-executed and impossible to solve mystery. Fangs Out is full of unexpected twists and turns that will keep even the most well-seasoned mystery reader guessing the killer’s identity. An excellent addition to this unique series that I highly recommend.

Read my review of Flat Spin HERE.

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Filed under Contemporary, Cordell Logan Mystery Series, David Freed, Fangs Out, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, The Permanent Press

May 1, 2012 · 3:58 am

Flat Spin by David Freed

Title: Flat Spin by David Freed
Cordell Logan Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: The Permanent Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 300 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Author

Summary:

Based in sunny Rancho Bonita – “California’s Monaco” as the city’s moneyed minions like to call it – Cordell Logan is a literate, sardonic flight instructor and aspiring Buddhist with dwindling savings and a shadowy past. When his beautiful ex-wife, Savannah, shows up out of the blue to tell him that her husband has been murdered in Los Angeles, Logan is quietly pleased. Savannah’s late husband is, after all, Arlo Echevarria, the man she left Logan for.

Logan and Echevarria were once comrades-in-arms assigned to a top-secret military assassination team known simply as “Alpha.” Though Savannah was never privy to the gritty details of their assignment, she suspects that Echevarria’s death must be related to the work he did for the government. The only problem is, the LAPD can find no record of Echevarria ever having toiled for Uncle Sam. Savannah wants Logan to tell the police what he knows. At first he refuses, but then, relying on his small, aging airplane, the Ruptured Duck, and on the skills he honed working for the government, Logan doggedly hunts Echevarria’s killer.

His trail takes him from the glitzy Las Vegas Strip to the most dangerous ghettos of inner-city Oakland, from darkened, Russian mafia haunts in West Los Angeles to the deserts of Arizona. Along the way, Logan is stalked by a mysterious motorist who repeatedly tries to kill him. But that’s the least of his problems. It is his love-hate relationship with Savannah, a woman Logan continues to pine for in spite of himself, that threatens to consume him.

Transcending the worlds of murder, aviation and international counterterrorism, Flat Spin resonates with a veracity that only an author who knows his subject firsthand can deliver.

The Review:

David Freed’s debut novel Flat Spin is an intriguing and enthralling mystery that is rife with humor, remarkable characters and a plot that is full of twists and turns. Formerly an assassin for the elite and top secret “Alpha” team, Cordell Logan is now a struggling flight instructor. When his ex-boss and former friend is murdered, Cordell finds himself smack dab in the middle of the murder investigation. With no shortage of suspects and some help from a well-placed friend, Cordell is hot on the trail of the killer.

The most appealing aspect of Flat Spin is wise-cracking Cordell Logan. Full of caustic wit and self-deprecating humor, Logan is an endearing protagonists whose flaws and failings add to his charm. He is a lovable hero who manages to irritate almost everyone that crosses his path including his ex-wife Savannah and the police investigating Arlo’s murder. He is also still pining after Savannah and their scenes are fraught with tension over their unresolved issues and Cordell’s simmering sexual attraction for his sexy and beautiful ex-wife. Despite his animosity toward Arlo Echevarria, his loyalty to the comrade-in-arms who once saved his life won’t let him abandon the investigation into his death.

The cast of secondary characters is also superb. Cordell’s ex-father-in-law is a larger than life figure and it is his irresistible offer that brings Cordell into the investigation. Cordell’s lively eighty something landlady Mrs. Schmulowitz is absolutely adorable and quite hilarious. Buzz, a loyal friend from his covert ops days, proves to be an invaluable source of information. But the character that truly stole my heart (and several scenes) is Cordell’s lazy and defiantly independent feline companion.

Details from Cordell’s mysterious past are seamlessly woven with current events and reveal fascinating information about his involvement in clandestine operations. It also provides a great deal of insight into his relationships with Savannah and Arlo. His experience as a covert assassin gives him the necessary skills and resources he needs to track down Arlo’s killer.

Flat Spin is an intricately plotted fast moving murder mystery that is quite compelling. David Freed masterfully keeps the murderer’s identity tightly under wraps and brings this suspenseful story to a jaw-dropping and stunning conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Cordell Logan Mystery Series, David Freed, Flat Spin, Mystery, Rated B+, The Permanent Press